Henry Beaufort

Henry Beaufort (1375-11 April 1447) was an English cardinal of the Catholic Church.

Biography
Henry Beaufort was born in Anjou, France in 1375, the son of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford. Beaufort was legitimized in 1397, and he was consecrated as a Catholic priest in 1398. That same year, he became Bishop of Lincoln, and he served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1403 to 1404, when he resigned in order to become Bishop of Winchester. Between 1411 and 1413, he was in disgrace for siding with Prince Henry against King Henry IV of England, but, when the Prince became King, Beaufort was rewarded for his loyalty. He was made Chancellor once more in 1413, but he resigned in 1417. From 1424 to 1426, he served as Chancellor for a third and final time, resigning in order to join the College of Cardinals. He was active in English politics for years, and he died in 1447.